Held in the Sackler Galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts, this Huishan Zhang show was a Spring exhibition in which he played creative partner to the artist Vivien Zhang. Sadly there was no time to hang around afterwards and determine whether the two are related but, either way, there was a discernible rapport between the prints Zhang H. incorporated from the work of Zhang V.

The designer began by placing a series of semi-sheer plissé separates in saccharine hues sometimes accented with ostrich-feather detailing over ’50s-cut underwear printed with the artist’s fossil-like symbols. He then veered towards Prom Night/Deb’s Delight via a series of gowns of the full-skirted and whoosh-y variety in recipes of organza and silk that were sometimes grounded via blessedly straightforward sneakers.

There was a trompe l’oeil story being told via suits with false pockets and lapels accentuated in pearl, and a discernible attempt to mediate a balance between lightness and form in his socialite-friendly, quiveringly meringue-skirted mega gowns. A long feathered dress interestingly reduced the density of the feathers from top to bottom as the intensity of the colors they were dyed in increased.

Zhang is neither a cutting-edge designer nor an earth-shaking revolutionary. However he does plough his fruitful field of the well heeled with all the dedication and attention they deserve. This was absolutely appropriate opening-of-an-envelope wear, articulated with skill and care.